How to study Medical School Pharmacology
Medical school pharmacology is one of the more straight forward classes to study for. While the foundational concepts may take some time to learn, the details that are you are expected to learn can be easily predicted ahead of time. Concepts in pharmacology fit in well with physiology as well and will help reinforce concepts in both classes. This is one of those classes that will utilize a lot of rote memorization and flashcards can really help you crush this class and pharmacology questions on Step 1.
Steps to studying Pharmacology (in order)
Read through the lecture notes and slides. Compare to reliable review texts.
Make a table:
For each test cycle, make a table of all the drugs that you are expected to know about. You can do this on Excel or Keynote. The things that you need to know for each drug are the following: general effects, mechanism, therapeutic uses, side effects, drug interactions/contraindications, and any unique things that are associated with that drug. Group each drug in others in its similar category. Add to this table every test block and at the end of the year, you will have an easy to digest table of every drug you have learned that you can use to refresh yourself before Step 1 or during wards.
Make flashcards:
While having a table allows you to easily make comparisons between different drugs and drug classes, the process of memorizing each drug's particular side effects or the mechanism of action can be made concrete using flashcards, either via Anki or Mental Case. Quickly make the flashcards and review them whenever you have a spare moment or while you're on the treadmill.
What do I need to know for Pharmacology?
You should understand the underlying basic science underlying pharmacology—pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, receptor types and their actions (for example, alpha-1 receptors increase vascular smooth muscle and bladder sphincter contraction and causes pupils to constrict).
For each drug, you should know (and referenced before)
Mechanism of action
Therapeutic uses/General effects
Side effects
Drug interactions/Contraindications
Unique associations
These can be best reviewed in a table format in addition to supplementing with flashcards.